Toby Manhire 
Backbencher Barry Coates’ indiscreet words are just what National wanted, writes Toby Manhire. Gaffes come in a range of sizes and colours. One garden variety is the Kinsley Gaffe, named after the veteran American journalist who first identified the species, Slate founder Michael Kinsley. He describes it as the kind of gaffe “when a politician … Read more
Pollwatch: A new poll for TVNZ is being called dismal for Labour and Little. And it is. But it’s not all rosy for National, either, writes Toby Manhire. There’s no getting around it: this evening’s Colmar Brunton poll for TVNZ is for the Labour Party, if you’ll forgive the technical language, pretty shithouse. With two and a half months to polling … Read more
He was plucked in 2014 from the Labour caucus by National’s Murray McCully and made Pacific ambassador. Now, sporting a “Put New Zealand First Again” cap, the ego has landed in Camp Winston, becoming leader-in-waiting. Toby Manhire asks whether Shane Jones’ reinvention is a brilliant idea or a disaster in the making. The interminable prelude to Phil Goff’s … Read more
The Todd Barclay affair has plunged the new prime minister into his first major political maelstrom, leading to claims of contradictory statements. Do they add up? Here’s our trawl of the key remarks. Text messages from Bill English to then Clutha-Southland electorate chairman Stuart Davie, February 21, 2016, via Newsroom: “[Barclay] left a Dictaphone running that picked … Read more
It demands a Herculean effort to shift the spotlight from a scandal engulfing a government MP, but New Zealand Labour’s shonky intern scheme might just have done it, writes Toby Manhire. Campaign for Change is a pithier title, but the universe has today revealed that the full name of Matt McCarten’s initiative to deliver a Corbyn-esque youth … Read more
A 10-page advice sheet for candidates on using Twitter and Facebook and the rest has surfaced. And Nicky Wagner has helpfully provided a real-life example of what to avoid. Toby Manhire reads the rules. “While there is no substitute for traditional, on-the-ground campaigning during an election, every candidate running for parliament needs to have a social media presence that is … Read more
Pollwatch: Reid Research survey suggests a fourth National term remains easily the likeliest scenario, though NZ First is climbing, and their likely recruit is planning an announcement – after the rugby. Grim viewing for Labour on Three tonight. The 100-days-to-go Neswshub/Reid Research poll puts the party down 4.2% on 26.4%, within sniffing distance of their dismal 2014 … Read more
In an engrossing radio interview, the foreign minister goes full diplomat-speak over relations with Israel, and again refuses to stand by a six-month-old UN resolution sponsored by New Zealand, writes Toby Manhire. “I’m an excellent student, a great learner,” said the new foreign minister, Gerry Brownlee, a month ago. He was relishing the opportunity – … Read more
The former political spin doctor talks to Toby Manhire about the controversial tour, and what happens when the media guy becomes the story. Read our interview with Campbell about the UK election omnishambles here. The 2005 British and Irish Lions side arrived in New Zealand full of promise. Coach Clive Woodward, still enjoying the afterglow … Read more
The former Labour communications chief talks to Toby Manhire about being proven wrong by Jeremy Corbyn, Theresa May’s ‘catastrophic’ deal with the DUP, and the chances of a Tony Blair comeback. Tomorrow: Campbell on the Lions tour As spin doctor in chief for Tony Blair, Alastair Campbell became a massive presence in British politics – not … Read more
Pollwatch: A new Colmar Brunton / One News poll suggests NZ First is tracking to overtake the Greens, but a sweet post-budget result for Bill English leaves open the possibility they’ll be surplus to requirements Bill English can treat himself to a warm bath of tinned spaghetti tonight: the post-budget poll by Colmar Brunton for One News … Read more
Just over three years ago, Susie Ferguson began as co-host of NZ’s most important news programme, Morning Report. She joins Toby Manhire to discuss the show, her rapport with Guyon Espiner, sexist abuse from listeners, how she ended up in NZ, and a dramatic head knock at the hands of her toddler Even before an … Read more
Thousands of Filipinos have been killed in Rodrigo Duterte’s ‘bloody war’ on drugs. As he approaches a year in office, extrajudicial and vigilante killings remain a daily reality, and countries such as NZ need to speak up, says Amnesty International’s Wilnor Papa in an interview with the Spinoff. Since he came to power in June last year … Read more
While we await the verdict in the Eight Mile Style action, revisit the glories from some of the greatest days the New Zealand justice system has ever seen. Somewhere in Wellington, Justice Helen Cull is deep in thought, idly tapping a foot, perhaps, composing early passages for her judgment in anapestic tetrameter, maybe, as she decides whether … Read more
The associate housing minister has issued a statement of regret after Newsroom caught him spraying threats at non-government service providers including Willie Jackson and the Salvation Army. Here we speculate on how it might read after a good dousing in truth serum. What Ngaro said: “My comments about the Government’s work in social housing and some … Read more
The new foreign minister is lucky that so little fuss was made when he unilaterally abandoned the government line on Israel, writes Toby Manhire. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, Bill English voiced an age-old axiom of international relations: “In this world of diplomacy, each word matters.” He was answering a question about the newly … Read more
A conversation with the Dunedin scientist who stumbled on a way to talk to people about his work, in spite of sniffy colleagues who think his Nessie study is nonsense. Professor Neil Gemmell heads up the University of Otago’s Gemmell Lab at the University of Otago, where he juggles research into ecology, conservation, evolutionary biology … Read more
The challenge for anyone, politicians especially, who opposed the idea of a Fairfax-NZME merger on high principle is to find a practical solution as news media go deeper into the storm, writes Toby Manhire The Commerce Commission would make a rubbish journalist. Not only did it fail repeatedly to meet its own deadlines in issuing a … Read more
In an early Auckland Writers Festival appearance, the creator of Veep and The Thick of It urged network execs to resist meddling – and chipped in on the great New Zealand political pizza debate. The British creator of television including The Thick of It, Veep and I’m Alan Partridge has offered some words of advice for New Zealand commissioners hoping … Read more
With a snap election amid a divorce from the European Union, there’s plenty afoot in Britain. Toby Manhire sits down with the UK high commissioner, Jonathan Sinclair, to find out what it means for him, along with his thoughts on NZ rugby crowds, dossing with the Australians post-earthquake, and how many Pitcairn Islanders he knows by name. The British … Read more
To be honest it would be weird if someone else revealed our campaign plans, but still, writes Spinoff politics editor Toby Manhire. Many are counting the days. But what about the hours? There are now fewer than 4,000 of them till the polls close on September 23, and what better arbitrary unit of distance to … Read more
Watch the first in RNZ’s big new series of interviews, The 9th Floor, and read our slightly shorter interview with their interviewer – on the contrast with Morning Report, Jim Bolger’s surprise attack on neoliberalism, and why John Key isn’t involved. RNZ this morning launched an ambitious new series of filmed interviews with former New Zealand prime … Read more
The prime minister has said there will not be an independent inquiry into the allegations around Operation Burnham, which according to the Hager-Stephenson account killed six civilians. These are his key justifications, and the author’s reaction There was only one subject covered in Bill English’s post-cabinet press conference this afternoon: the allegations contained in the … Read more
The Greens now have a warmer relationship with the NZ First leader, and are ready to work together whatever their disagreements, says co-leader Metiria Turei. She also reveals, in an interview with the Spinoff, how close she came to quitting, and what Greens in government would do if Donald Trump were to visit. With less than six … Read more
The NZ Green Party has been in parliament in its own right since 1999, yet never in government. They hope a pact with Labour and a pledge of financial prudence will change that at last. But there are detractors, some of the most critical among their own membership. Co-leaders Metiria Turei and James Shaw tell … Read more
Residents of the Afghan area where NZ forces undertook Operation Burnham in 2010 say the NZ Defence Force claim it took place in Tirgiran Village is a nonsense, like describing an attack on ‘Otago City’. Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson have meanwhile conceded that they were out by 2km in locating the villages, but argue it … Read more
The Chief of NZ Defence has dismissed Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson’s book, pointing to ‘major inaccuracies’, saying Operation Burnham took place not in the villages they identify but instead in Tirgiran Village, 2km south. And it turns out Stephenson himself said, in a 2014 report, that the raid occurred in Tirgiran Village. We asked … Read more
Following a remarkable press conference by the Chief of the Defence Force, we point to the critical disputes about what took place during the 2010 NZ-led raid in Baghlan Province, Afghanistan. Starkly differing versions of events over what took place in a 2010 NZ-led raid in Afghanistan have been put forward by the authors of … Read more
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today: Some people are upset about free-range eggs. Toby Manhire is upset about ‘tasty’ cheese. In the dizzying light of the Countdown cold goods aisle, it is easy to make mistakes. Mistakes such as picking up a block of Alpine … Read more